


so, now you've met the whole family and they're thoroughly embarrassing, right?

by pyroallerdyce



Series: captured moments. [17]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Meet the Family, Meeting the Parents, One Shot Collection, Professor Ben Solo, Short One Shot, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:19:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23288404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: It wasn't that he didn't want his family to know Rey.  He wanted them to.  He wanted Rey to know them too.  He had worked out by that point that the only family that Rey had was her grandfather, and Ben knew from things that Rey had said about him that her relationship with her grandfather was more than a little fucked up.  It was just that he still didn't know how to explain what was happening between them to himself, let alone other members of his entirely too nosy family.or:  It's time for Anakin's 80th birthday party, and that means it's time for Rey to meet the rest of Ben's family.  Ben knows this isn't going to go well.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: captured moments. [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1602691
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	so, now you've met the whole family and they're thoroughly embarrassing, right?

**Author's Note:**

> I am like seriously sorry about the lack of postings in this one shot series recently but between a number of different things happening, writing has just not worked out. Hopefully this is the start of a better week and you get another one of these on Friday too.
> 
> Reminder that new entries in this series come on every Monday and/or Friday (unless the world intervenes).
> 
> And as always, if you like what you've read, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know I'm not writing into a void. Enjoy!

Ben brought the car to a stop in front of his grandparents' house and turned off the ignition. It was the night of Anakin's birthday party, his mother had requested that he came earlier to help set up things, and before Ben could say no, Rey had said they'd be happy to help. Ben had never hated the fact that Rey and Leia knew each other more than at that moment.

It wasn't that he didn't want his family to know Rey. He wanted them to. He wanted Rey to know them too. He had worked out by that point that the only family that Rey had was her grandfather, and Ben knew from things that Rey had said about him that her relationship with her grandfather was more than a little fucked up. It was just that he still didn't know how to explain what was happening between them to himself, let alone other members of his entirely too nosy family.

“Are we going to get out of the car?” Rey asked, drawing Ben out of his thoughts.

He looked over at her and smiled at the sight, taking two deep breaths before nodding. Rey opened up the car door so he did the same, and by the time that he'd walked around the car to the sidewalk, Rey was standing there smoothing down the skirt of the dress she was wearing.

The dress that Ben could not wait to peel off of her when they got back to their apartment that night.

Wait, _their_ apartment?

That thought terrified him.

Ben closed his eyes and took five more deep breaths. Everything was out of his control and he didn't know how to get it back under control without fucking everything up. And he really didn't want to fuck everything up. Rey was everything that he'd ever wanted.

That thought terrified him too.

Rey slipped her hand into his and brought Ben back to the present, and he gave her a shaky smile. “You know, we can just turn around and leave,” he offered. “There's absolutely nothing that is forcing us to go in there.”

Rey squeezed his hand. “Ben, I want to go in there. I want to meet your family.”

Before Ben could say anything, he heard their names be called out, and he looked towards the house to see Padmé walking down the sidewalk towards them. He took another deep breath and Rey squeezed his hand again before letting go. 

“Padmé, it's wonderful to see you,” Rey said, and Padmé wrapped her arms around her when she was close enough. 

“Oh, it's good to see you too, Rey,” Padmé said, pulling back and getting a good look at her. “And the dress still looks wonderful on you, just like I knew it would.”

Ben was instantly confused. “What?”

“Oh, Benjamin, honestly,” Padmé said as though that would clear everything up, but it didn't.

“Grandma, I...” Ben started, but before he could get any further, Padmé wrapped an arm around Rey and started leading her to the house. 

“Just wait until you see the inside. It looks better than Leia and I thought that it would with that garland you helped pick out.”

“I can't wait to see it then. It looked so beautiful in the photograph with the display.” 

Ben stood there wondering what on earth it was he was missing until he heard Padmé call out his name, so he trailed after them and into the house. Padmé was leading Rey into the kitchen once he had the door shut behind him, and he stood there and took eight really long deep breaths before heading in that direction. This was fine. This was normal. People introduced their girlfriends to their families all the time. It was natural.

It was motherfucking terrifying.

Ben didn't completely understand why that was. He'd introduced every single one of his previous girlfriends to his family. This should be no different than any of that. 

And yet it was somehow completely different.

He forced that train of thought from his mind as he walked into the kitchen, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw that Leia had Rey wrapped up in a hug now. “Um, hello.”

“Ben,” Leia said, letting go of Rey and walking over to him, giving him a hug of his own. “Oh, I am so excited about this.”

“Me too, Mama,” Ben murmured. “Grandpa's birthdays are always something to look forward to.”

Leia laughed. “Oh, not the party, Benjamin. I'm excited for Rey to finally meet everyone.”

Ben suddenly found it hard to breathe. “Who exactly do you mean by everyone?”

“Well, your father and grandfather cannot wait to meet her for one,” Leia said. “Lando can't wait either.”

Ben closed his eyes. “Lando's going to be here?”

“So are Obi-Wan and Satine,” Leia said, and now Ben really found it hard to breathe. “Everyone is thrilled to learn that you finally have a girlfriend, Ben. There's nothing to worry about.”

Ben wanted to tell Leia that there was everything to worry about but he was trying desperately to breathe instead. He heard Rey call out his name but he just stepped back until he was up against the wall and slid down to the floor, gasping for air. Rey was on her knees next to him in a second, murmuring his name until Ben's lungs finally filled with air. He leaned into her and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing gentle kisses to his forehead. 

“It's okay, Ben,” she murmured. “I promise you, it's okay.”

“It's not that I don't want people to know you,” Ben started to explain, but Rey just kissed his forehead again.

“It's okay, Ben,” Rey said again. “I know. I also know how hard this is for you. If you don't want this to happen, then I can leave.”

“No, I don't want you to leave,” Ben mumbled. “I just didn't prepare myself very well for this. It didn't even occur to me that people like Lando and Obi-Wan would be here.”

“You're going to have to explain to me who Lando and Obi-Wan are,” Rey said, smiling at Ben when he sat up. “I don't know the answer to that.”

Ben nodded and took ten deep breaths before he looked up and saw his mother and grandmother peering at him in concern. “I'm fine. I promise.”

“Ben, you haven't had a panic attack in front of me in twenty years,” Leia said seriously. “You are not fine.”

“I'm fine,” Ben said firmly before standing up and offering his hand to help Rey up. “Leave me alone about it.”

Leia heard her name be called out from the other room and shook her head. “You are lucky that Luke needs me for something right now. And this is not the last time we're discussing this.”

“There's nothing to discuss!” Ben called out as Leia walked out of the kitchen. He turned to Rey and trailed his fingers down her cheek. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome, darling,” Rey said, and when Ben turned his attention to his grandmother, Padmé was standing there with a brilliant grin on her face. 

“Darling?” Padmé exclaimed. “Oh, this is so wonderful. Stay here. I'll go get Ani and you can introduce Rey.”

Padmé was out of the kitchen before Ben could say anything and so he turned his attention back to Rey. “I am so sorry for everything that's about to happen.”

“Ben, it's just meeting your family. Nothing bad can come from that,” Rey said softly, leaning in to kiss him. “No matter what happens, I'm still going home with you.”

Ben wanted to talk about how Rey was referring to his apartment as home, but he knew doing it at that specific moment was probably not a good idea. He needed to know Rey's thoughts on the subject of moving in with him before he did something incredibly stupid like offer to have that happen.

Wait, _moving in with him_?

Ben decided that he and his brain needed to have a very long talk during his lunch hour the next day. He could set aside the horrific essays in order to figure this out.

Because that thought terrified him too.

“Benjamin,” came Anakin's voice, and Ben took four deep breaths before turning to face him. 

“Grandpa. Happy birthday.”

“That's not for another three days, so let's save it until then, shall we?” Anakin said, hugging Ben. “And who is this lovely lady?”

Ben took another deep breath and wrapped an arm around Rey's back. “Grandpa, this is Rey. Rey, this is my grandfather Anakin.”

“Oh, it's so wonderful to meet you,” Rey said, smiling at him. “Ben speaks very highly of you.”

“Does he now?” Anakin said, giving Ben a look that said he didn't believe a word of it. “Well, Padmé has been glowing in her assessment of you so far. I cannot wait to find out if she speaks the truth.”

“Anakin!” Padmé admonished as Ben covered his face with his hands. 

Oh, this was not going well.

“I have only ever told you the truth about Rey, Anakin, and you know it. Benjamin having a girlfriend is not something we take lightly around here.”

“It's alright, Padmé. I know that this is a situation that you all haven't been in for a while, and I'm just determined to make it go smoothly for everyone,” Rey said. “I love your grandson and I really want everything to work.”

Ben's ability to breathe was taken away from him again. He could swear that Rey had just said that she loved him. 

She loved him.

That thought terrified him.

But he loved her too.

The two thoughts combined terrified him even more.

But, in a good way?

Rey gave him one of those smiles then, the kind that Ben lived for, the kind that he knew was directed at him and only him for some reason, and he felt his lungs fill with air. He smiled back, wrapped his arm around her back again, and just watched her for a few moments.

Yeah, it was terrifying in a good way.

“What's this I hear about my son actually bringing this imaginary girl with him?”

Ben closed his eyes, decided that he hated his family so, so much, and then opened them to see his father was now standing in front of them. “Rey, this is my father Han. Dad, this is Rey.”

Han held out a hand and Rey shook it. “It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Solo.”

Han laughed. “Don't ever call me that again. It's Han.”

“Then you'll never hear me say it again, Han.”

Han stared at them for long enough that Ben was starting to feel uncomfortable, and then Han held out his hand to Ben. “Benjamin. Nicely done. She's quite the looker.”

Ben was mortified, but there was very little that he could do about his incredibly embarrassing family beyond renouncing them and changing his name. Which he wouldn't do. 

He really wouldn't.

“Han, I told you to be on your best behavior,” Leia said firmly, and Ben hadn't even realized she'd come into the room. 

“I am being on my best behavior, Leia. I was simply making an observation.”

“An observation that didn't need to be made verbally,” Leia said, rolling her eyes. “Go help Luke with the tables, please. You too, Dad.”

“Fine,” Han said, smiling at them. “It was wonderful to meet you, Rey. I look forward to finding out more about you now that I know you're not imaginary.”

“Han,” Leia warned.

“I know, I know, best behavior,” Han said as he walked out of the room.

“Perhaps later we can talk about London, Rey,” Anakin said. “It's been a few years since I've been back there, but I've always been drawn to that city.”

Rey nodded, but Ben could tell it was stiff. “Sure.”

As soon as Anakin had left to follow Han, Ben turned to her. “Rey, you don't have to talk to Grandpa about London if you don't want to, okay? Don't feel like you have to do that.”

“Why wouldn't you want to talk about your hometown?” Leia asked, opening up the refrigerator.

“Mama,” Ben started, but Rey shook her head.

“It's okay, Ben,” she murmured. “I don't mind talking about London. I mind talking about why I left London and came here.”

“Then Ani won't ask about that,” Padmé said seriously. “I'll make sure of it.”

“Thank you, Padmé,” Rey said, nodding when Leia asked if she wanted a glass of wine.

“Then follow me. All the alcohol is already set up in here,” Leia said, walking out of the kitchen.

Rey just smiled at Ben and followed Leia, and Ben took six deep breaths before turning to Padmé. “Tonight is going to be absolute torture. I hope you know that.”

“What could possibly be torturous about introducing the woman you love to the people that mean the most to you?” Padmé asked. “I'd think that would be wonderful.”

“I'm not In love with her,” Ben quickly lied, and Padmé just gave him a look.

“Don't you even try that on me, Benjamin Solo,” she declared. “You know that you love her.”

Ben forced himself to nod. “Yes.”

“And she's in love with you. She just said as much.”

“I didn't know that until that moment, but yes.”

Padmé's eyes widened. “You two haven't told each other that yet?”

“No,” Ben said, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I'm going to fuck this up so badly.”

“You are not,” Padmé admonished. “We'll work through a plan to get that to happen, alright? But for now, I need you to help put up this garland that Rey helped us pick out. I've gotten some of it up, but I had to stand on a chair for that, and you're tall enough that you'll be able to do it without that.”

Ben nodded. “What do you mean Rey helped pick it out?”

“We arranged a little girls' shopping trip,” Padmé explained. “Rey was very helpful, and I hope that Leia and I were very helpful in Rey choosing the dress she's wearing tonight. She clearly likes it.”

“I like it too,” was out of Ben's mouth before he could stop it.

“I'd certainly hope so if the way you're looking at her is any indication,” Padmé said, and Ben felt his entire body blush. “Now come on. Garland. And you can tell me how your plans for your lectures went today. Rey said you were struggling with that this week.”

“Exactly how much do you and Mama talk to Rey without me knowing it?” Ben asked as he followed Padmé out of the room. 

“Oh, darling, a woman never tells. But don't be nervous about this. This is a good thing.”

“I'll try, Grandma. I'll try.”

But they were apparently in love with each other, and nothing had ever made him so nervous in his life.


End file.
